The objectives of this study are: 1. to study the production, trade and consumption of opium in Turkey and Persia in a comparative historical context; 2. to permit isolation of the economic, social, political and religious factors that gave rise to differing attitudes toward the used of opiates in these countries during the 19th century. A close examination of the Iranian and Turkish experience with opium in the 19th century will place sharper emphasis on the unique historical processes that have shaped the American use of narcotic drugs. While the literature on American abuse of drugs is extensive, there is almost nothing on the problems associated with opiate usage in the Middle East. Thus the attempt to understand the American situation lacks a comparative dimension. This study will provide a basis for a comparative knowledge of drug usage.